Giant Bluefin Tuna Fishing

Bluefin Tuna fishing charters consist of trolling and drifting to hook into a Giant Bluefin Tuna. Bluefin are found throughout the Atlantic and Pacific ocean but this migratory fish species is known to inhabit the south Atlantic as well. The Atlantic Bluefin Tuna is also known as the Northern Bluefin Tuna.

Even though the Bluefin Tuna is over-fished in certain parts of the world, we here in Prince Edward Island are heavily regulated and we’re only allowed to catch one tuna for the year commercially, which is why we catch and release on our Bluefin Tuna fishing charters, because North Lake Charters wants to conserve our industry. The entire Canada quota is about 500 metric tons and places in Italy or Spain catch more tuna in one year than Canada would catch in a lifetime. Worldwide thousands of tons of Bluefin Tuna are caught by fishermen annually and North Lake Charters knows where the fish are and gives you the best chance of landing that giant Bluefin Tuna. Click here for our charter rates.

Most fish are cold-blooded animals. Tuna and mackerel are warm-blooded, so they are able to regulate their body temperatures. Warm-blooded fish have organs called “retia mirabilia” which supply and drain blood to and from the muscles. These retia mirabilia consist of very small veins and arteries, which allow its system to act as a heat exchanger. Warmth in the veins returns for fresh oxygen and comes in close proximity with newly oxygenated, cold blood in the arteries; this acts as a counter-current exchanger of heat from the blood in the veins to the colder, arterial blood, rather than that warm blood being lost through the gills. This causes the fish’s body temperature to increase as much as 20 degrees C (36 F) for fish from colder water and less in fish from warmer water.

The Bluefin Tuna’s ability to regulate its body temperature enables its hunting range to not be limited by water temperature or climatic changes. Additional heat provided to its muscles gives the Tuna power and speed, which enables it to hunt species like mackerel, herring and squid, which slower predators can’t catch. The Bluefin Tuna has been clocked at over 30 miles per hour!The Atlantic Bluefin Tuna lives in the open sea primarily in the northern Atlantic and prefers temperate seas, but its range includes the tropics and coastal areas, as well. Bluefin Tuna typically live in warmer seas from the water surface to about 650 feet, but have been known to go as deep as 1800 feet.

The diet of the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna consists of small schools of fish and squid, as well as red crabs, krill and species known as “sessile” animals, which are attached to the ocean floor at their base and are, therefore, unable to move around freely in the ocean.

The Atlantic’s larger Giant Atlantic Bluefin Tuna are regularly seen and can grow up to almost 10 feet in length and 1000 pounds in weight.

With Captain Bruce Keus, a 3rd generation fisherman with 22 years’ fishing experience and 16 years as Captain, with North Lake Charters you’ll have the best chances of finding and catching one of the best sport fish in the sea, the giant bluefin tuna. Get your reservation for one of the Bluefin Tuna Fishing Charters off Prince Edward Island (PEI) in Canada aboard the North Lake Breeze’s 45-footer. Click here for our charter rates.